Clinical Evaluation on the Therapeutic Effect of Acupuncture Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease

Inclusion Criteria: * aged between 50-85 years * the diagnostic criteria of Neurological Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) * cognitive impairment based on the scores of the Chinese version of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (patients with mild to moderate Alzheimers disease, 11≤primary school degree≤22, 11≤junior high school degree or above≤26 * magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmation of atrophy of the hippocampus or the medial temporal lobe volume, MRI manifestation of high possibility of Alzheimer Disease * the Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy Rating Scale (MTA-scale) score (≥2 for those under 75 years, and ≥3 for those over 75 years) * voluntarily joining this study with informed consents Exclusion Criteria: * cognitive impairment caused by other factors (e.g. vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, hormone or metabolic abnormalities, hypothyroidism, folic acid or vitamin B12 deficiency, delirium or other mental and emotional disorders (such as schizophrenia and depression)) * a serious heart condition, hepatic disease, renal system disease, hematopoietic system disease, or whole-body malnutrition * aphasia, disturbance of consciousness, or failure to cooperate with the related examinations due to physical disability * anticoagulant treatments such as warfarin or heparin * use of pacemakers or receiving acupuncture in the past 2 weeks